In a standing order seen by this outlet, the immigration boss lamented that he noticed officials violating their duties when issuing passports for citizens and paying nationality fees rather than actual fees, keeping the remaining funds for personal use.
“It has been observed with great dismay that some DCRNPI officers and NCOs have abandoned their sworn duties and thus resorted to processing passports on behalf of citizens with unimaginable malpractices, for instance, using NC fees to process passports to reserve some amount for personal use,” partly reads the order.
In this context, Gen Kosta issued a standing order prohibiting officers and NCOs from processing any document, such as a passport or nationality, on behalf of citizens.
“From today henceforth, no officer or NCO is allowed to process any document, whether passport or nationality, on behalf of the citizen,” Kosta noted.
“Citizens are strongly encouraged to process the required documents personally,” he continued.
The immigration chief noted that this decision is in the best interests of both citizens and the directorate, as it prevents fraud and disappointment from middlemen.
Gen Kosta instructed PSU and Protection to enforce this order with immediate effect.
“All departments and units to communicate this order to their officers and other ranks,” stated the order.
South Sudan becomes the first nation in history to go the entire year without paying public servants and organised forces.
The country has experienced a spring of strikes from public universities over salary delays. Staff members voiced their discontent over unpaid salaries stretching back 11 months, flight tickets that had not been honoured since 2019, and unpaid medical allowances.
This economic hardship was due to the halting of oil production, which has had a detrimental impact on the economy of Africa’s youngest nation.
South Sudan currently produces nearly 200,000 barrels per day, which it exports through the Sudanese port following the 2012 deal that allowed the Sudanese government to receive $25 per barrel of crude oil.
